1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gymnastics mats and the like such as those employed for free excercise, wrestling, judo, etc. In particular, it relates to gymnastics mats which may be conveniently disassembled and stored regardless of their dimensions during use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of cushioning is a necessity for the safe conduct of certain athletic activities. In particular, those activities performed indoors on a hard surface mandate mat type equipment. Free exercise, wrestling and judo are examples of such activities. Like most athletic endeavors, they are not confined to a small or well defined area but require a rather large available surface for the participant(s) to utilize. Presently it is common to array a mat or series of mats, each consisting of cushioning material contained within an outer covering. The area to be covered may be in the order of 24 feet .times. 24 feet or 44 feet by 44 feet. Generally, one or a plurality of mats is utilized in such an athletic activity. A problem arises when such a cushioning arrangement is provided due to the fact that a single large mat utilized to cover a large surface may be intolerably heavy and bulky. This often necessitates the more or less permanent storage of the mat within the activity room or area in its rolled-up state. The use of a series of smaller mats may allow the removal of the floor covering in sections. However, in use, multiple mats may create a hazard for the athlete. Such mats may slide to expose the hard surface. Alternatively, it is difficult to achieve full surface coverage without "bumps" due to the overlap of adjoining mat sections near the intersection of a pair of mats. Such bumps may be as harmful to the user of the mat as an exposed hard surface. They will exert a large reaction force when two wrestlers, for instance, fall or may present a tripping hazard.